The rivalry between former ESPN colleagues Sage Steele and Jemele Hill just got a whole lot spicier. Steele, who once anchored SportsCenter alongside Hill, took to X (formerly Twitter) to throw some serious shade at Hill following her controversial appearance on CNN.
Hill's segment on CNN quickly went viral after she clashed with a fellow panelist over capitalism and its alleged racist undertones toward minorities. The debate sparked a firestorm on social media, with many on the right hammering Hill for her remarks. One of the loudest critics was CNN contributor Scott Jennings, who didn't hold back.
“ESPN paid Jemele Hill $6 million to literally stop talking, and now she’s lecturing us on the “ills” of capitalism? I’m just glad @Kmele set the record straight. Well done, sir,” Jennings posted, alongside a clip of the heated exchange.
Steele, who has since carved out a niche in political media, decided to weigh in with a simple but pointed response. She quote-tweeted Jennings's post and added three blazing fire emojis — a clear public taunt aimed squarely at her former colleague. The move didn't go unnoticed, and fans quickly picked up on the tension.
This isn't the first time the two have butted heads. Hill left ESPN in 2018 after co-hosting the 6 p.m. ET edition of SportsCenter with Michael Smith. Reflecting on her exit, Hill admitted the experience wasn't what she hoped for. “For me it was not a great experience for a lot of different reasons. It wasn’t my calling,” she said. “We were like the franchise quarterbacks that were drafted and then the head coach and GM got fired and they wanted us to run a different offense.”
Since then, Hill has built an independent career, including a forthcoming interview with Colin Kaepernick for The Atlantic. Steele, meanwhile, has become a familiar face in conservative circles, even making an appearance at the White House press briefing room during Donald Trump's second term. Their paths couldn't be more different, and it's clear the bad blood runs deep.
For fans of the old SportsCenter days, this public spat is a reminder that the world of sports media is never short on drama. And with both women thriving in their own lanes, this feud might just be getting started. Stay tuned for more fireworks as 2026 rolls on.
